Find out the latest food, drink, culture and entertainment news

What Vegemite teaches us about which supermarket is cheapest

Will Coles, ALDI or Woolworths come out on top?

Vegemite is becoming an Australian-owned brand again. To mark this evolution, I decided to investigate which of the big three supermarket chains (Woolworths, Coles and ALDI) sells Vegemite for the lowest price.

Vegemite makes for a solid comparison because it's one of the few brand-name products which ALDI actually sells, so we really are comparing like with like across all three stores. In practice, many of the store-brand goods sold by supermarkets are all produced in the same factory, but it's hard to determine whether that's true for individual products.

Note for pedants: yes, I'm sure the gigantic Costco tubs of Vegemite are cheaper again, but many of us still don't live anywhere near a Costco (or need that much Vegemite). And I didn't include IGA either, because pricing varies much more between stores, and because IGA often operates in areas the big chains have deemed unviable, meaning shoppers may not have much choice anyway.

The table below shows the regular prices for Vegemite at each of my local supermarkets last week (I visited all three on the same day). I've also shown the unit price per 100 grams. The table is sorted by unit price, but you can click on any of the headings to sort by store, price or product:

Store

Product

Price

Price/100g

Woolworths

Vegemite 560g

$8.00

$1.43

Coles

Vegemite 560g

$8.00

$1.43

ALDI

Vegemite 453g

$6.99

$1.54

Coles

Vegemite 380g

$6.00

$1.58

Coles

Vegemite 220g

$3.84

$1.75

Woolworths

Vegemite 280g

$5.00

$1.79

Coles

Vegemite Cheesybite 270g

$5.10

$1.89

Woolworths

Vegemite Reduced Salt 235g

$4.70

$2.00

Coles

Vegemite Reduced Salt 235g

$4.70

$2.00

Coles

Vegemite 150g

$3.30

$2.20

Woolworths

Vegemite 150g

$3.35

$2.23

Woolworths

Vegemite Travel Pack 145g

$4.05

$2.79

Coles

Vegemite Travel Pack 145g

$4.05

$2.79

Note that there is no single size of Vegemite which is sold by all three supermarket chains. Indeed, ALDI sells just a single Vegemite size (453 grams), which isn't available anywhere else. (In the past, ALDI has also sold its own Vegemite knock-off called Brekkie Mite, but that doesn't appear in its current range.) Woolworths has an exclusive on the 280 gram (and even proclaims as much on the label), while Coles appears to be the only chain selling the 220 gram size right now.

Beyond that, the general rules of smart shopping do seem to apply here:

The bigger the quantity you buy, the cheaper the product is. Vegemite in a 560 gram jar has an effective unit price of $1.43 per 100 grams. If you go for the 145 gram "travel pack", you're paying close to twice as much ($2.79/100 grams). That price applies at both Woolworths and Coles; ALDI is slightly more expensive at $1.54 per 100 grams.

Coles and Woolworths aggressively match prices on the sizes they do sell in common. Their prices are identical for 560 gram and 145 gram variants. Only with the 150 grams is there any difference, with Coles' $3.30 undercutting Woolworths' $3.35. For consumers, that level of price matching is good news, because it means that you don't have to spend time hunting in different supermarkets.

Obviously, the cheapest time to buy Vegemite is when it's on sale, but you still need to compare. Recently, Woolworths was selling its 280 gram jar for $4 rather than $5. While that seems like a big saving, the effective unit price is $1.43 - the same as the 560 gram jar when it isn't on sale.

Disclaimer - Hive Empire Pty Ltd (trading as finder.com.au, ABN: 18 118 785 121) provides factual information, general advice and services on financial products as a Corporate Authorised Representative (432664) of Advice Evolution Pty Ltd AFSL 342880. Please refer to our FSG - Financial Products. We also provide general advice on credit products under our own Credit Licence ACL 385509. Please refer to our Credit Guide for more information. We can also provide you with general advice and factual information on about a range of other products, services and providers. We are also a Corporate Authorised Representative of Countrywide Tolstrup Financial Services Group Pty Ltd. ABN 51 586 953 292 AFSL 244436 for the provision of general insurance products. Please refer to our FSG - General Insurance. We hope that the information and general advice we can provide will help you make a more informed decision. We are not owned by any Bank or Insurer and we are not a product issuer or a credit provider. Although we cover a wide range of products, providers and services we don't cover every product, provider or service available in the market so there may be other options available to you. We also don't recommend specific products, services or providers. If you decide to apply for a product or service through our website you will be dealing directly with the provider of that product or service and not with us. We endeavour to ensure that the information on this site is current and accurate but you should confirm any information with the product or service provider and read the information they can provide. If you are unsure you should get independent advice before you apply for any product or commit to any plan. (c) 2018.

Thank you for your feedback.

Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.

Important information about this website

finder.com.au is one of Australia's leading comparison websites. We compare from a wide set of major banks, insurers and product issuers.

finder.com.au has access to track details from the product issuers listed on our sites. Although we provide information on the products offered by a wide range of issuers, we don't cover every available product. You should consider whether the products featured on our site are appropriate for your needs and seek independent advice if you have any questions.

Products marked as 'Promoted' or "Advertisement" are prominently displayed either as a result of a commercial advertising arrangement or to highlight a particular product, provider or feature. Finder may receive remuneration from the Provider if you click on the related link, purchase or enquire about the product. Finder's decision to show a 'promoted' product is neither a recommendation that the product is appropriate for you nor an indication that the product is the best in its category. We encourage you to use the tools and information we provide to compare your options and find the best option for you.

The identification of a group of products, as 'Top' or 'Best' is a reflection of user preferences based on current website data. On a regular basis, analytics drive the creation of a list of popular products. Where these products are grouped, they appear in no particular order.

Where our site links to particular products or displays 'Go to site' buttons, we may receive a commission, referral fee or payment.

We try to take an open and transparent approach and provide a broad based comparison service. However, you should be aware that while we are an independently owned service, our comparison service does not include all providers or all products available in the market.

Some product issuers may provide products or offer services through multiple brands, associated companies or different labelling arrangements. This can make it difficult for consumers to compare alternatives or identify the companies behind the products. However, we aim to provide information to enable consumers to understand these issues.

Providing or obtaining an estimated insurance quote through us does not guarantee you can get the insurance. Acceptance by insurance companies is based on things like occupation, health and lifestyle. By providing you with the ability to apply for a credit card or loan we are not guaranteeing that your application will be approved. Your application for credit products is subject to the Provider's terms and conditions as well as their application and lending criteria.

Please read our website terms of use for more information about our services and our approach to privacy.